Entertainment For Lively Minds
David Byrne at Edinburgh Playhouse
Off to the Playhouse on Saturday evening for a highly anticipated set from one of my all time musical heroes.
It was a little, as the young people say, meh.
To begin, the sound was appaling beyond belief. Byrnes twitchy, nervous persona is just this side of irritating when you can hear him but an indistinct mumble just pisses people off. Not his fault but the problem persisted throughout the gig. It was so lacking in volume I actually got told off by a woman sitting near me during one of the more soporific numbers as she could hear me speak, in a quiet voice, two rows away. It was like watching a band in a library.
The first hour, in fact, was the closest I've ever came to leaving a gig before the end. Endless deeply dull new material, those fecking dancers, a general air of artsy pretentiousness (and I like pretension!) and a total lack of neurotic funk. People were leaving, many were grumbling, some hecklage occured.
However, the second hour was great, if barely audible, and saw the thin one funk things up on a string of classics which had the place sedately going crazy whilst avoiding drowning out the band by singing along.
Not the greatest gig I've ever seen by a long chalk. Strange set list, terrible venue and the first time I've seen a guitar player (Mr Byrne) tune a guitar manually for around ten minutes while people drummed their fingers and quietly seethed.
Ach well. It was better than watching Total Wipeout.
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Wrong about the setlist
Sorry about the sound, it was immaculate when I saw him :
Looking at the setlist (which seems to be pretty standard) the first half of the show is a nice mix of old and new, containing several Talking Heads classics (I Zimbra, Houses, Heaven, Air etc) and a few rarities as well. Of course he's going to play stuff from his new album, but I thought the balance was perfect and the new songs great when I saw the show.
Strange Overtones, I Zimbra, One Fine Day, Help Me Somebody, Houses in Motion, My Big Nurse, My Big Hands, Heaven, Air, Never Thought, Life is Long, Cross-eyed and Painless, Born Under Punches, Once in a Lifetime, Life During Wartime, I Feel My Stuff
Encores: Take Me to the River, The Great Curve, Road to Nowhere, Burning Down the House, Everything that Happens
Pity about the sound
I saw him earlier in the year - set list pretty much as Dai posted - and it was one of the best shows I've seen, certainly comparable with Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. The staging was excellent, dancers and office furniture included. Fantastic reception from the crowd too.
Mostly the sound
Looking at the setlist I didnt realise some of those songs (which I know well) had been played. The sound was that bad.
Is it too much to ask that, at £35 a pop, you can actually hear a band? I wouldnt have put up with that at a pub gig but at the Playhouse it seems to be fine. I read elsewhere that someone was thrown out for loudly complaining about the sound. If thats true its a complete disgrace. It improved dramatically in the last hour but by that time the momentum was lost.
Anyone think a refund should be in order?
You're right
Most of the problems I have with sound is when it is too loud and/or appallingly mixed though. People who are unhappy with it for whatever reason should have their ticket money refunded. For what the ticket prices cost these days it should always be perfect.